Author Archives: Jane Cable

The Business of Books: Publish and Don’t be Damned

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Jane Cable’s big lessons from self publishing

At the moment I’m juggling. Even more than ever with a house move and Chindi’s talks at the Festival of Chichester both approaching at a frightening pace. And juggling means making the best use of my time, so when I was thinking about the biggest lessons I’ve learnt for Chindi’s self publishing workshop I thought they would make a good article as well.

Put simply, they fall into two categories.

  1. Your book may be self published but it has to be as good as anything brought out by a major house – if not better. You can’t afford for it to look out of place in a bookshop or on people’s shelves at home. Cover design, shape and size are hugely important.The content has to be perfect too – and I mean perfect. You are asking people to pay for your work and this is a total game-changer. How would you feel if you picked up badly stitched shirt – or a book full of typos where the plot didn’t hang together?The best single piece of advice I can give any would-be author is that if you are tempted to publish your book without anyone else looking at it first, then don’t. Even the super-talented have lapses of concentration and mistakes creep in. At least have some sort of edit or proof read. Follow your gut instinct as to which would be the most important for you.

    Basically there are three main sorts of edit: structural (which evaluates the whole manuscript and how well it works as a novel); copy (studies the manuscript line by line for spelling, grammar and consistency); proof read (works on the print or ebook ready version for formatting and a final check on spelling and grammar).

    It’s always best to pay a professional but if you really can’t afford it and/or have a super-careful relative or friend at least get them to proof it. You’ve spent so long nurturing your manuscript you just won’t see all the mistakes yourself.

  2. You will spend at least as much time marketing as writing and you need to do it. You have no-one else to do it for you, unless you can afford professional help.Before your book comes out, cover the basics: think about who your target audience are, how you are going to reach them and how/where they are going to buy your book. You will be in a very crowded market. How is your book different? How can you make it sound unique and enticing?Although I had some background in PR and promotion, when my first novel, The Cheesemaker’s House, came out I was clueless about book publicity. I had arranged for a former colleague to do some PR for me, but that was it. Pretty soon I had to learn about social media, book bloggers, AI sheets, collateral. Because I had chosen an assisted publishing route with Matador it was easier, but I still needed to invest a huge amount of time.

    There are, however, great resources available: books (such as Chindi’s Before You Press Publish), online (ALLi – The Alliance of Independent Authors), blogs and of course groups like Chindi which exist to help you and provide mutual support. When I joined Chindi my marketing came on in leaps and bounds and as the group becomes more online we welcome authors from around the world.Even if you move into the world of traditional publishing these skills are hugely important and it’s always worth remembering that ultimately you are responsible for your book’s success.Find out more about Chindi’s author resources here: http://www.chindi-authors.co.uk/for-writers/

 

 

The Business of Books: Fresh Endeavours

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The Business of Books: Fresh Endeavours 

Jane Cable talks to former publishing director of Endeavour Press, Amy Durant, at the start of her freelance career

1) What is your book related job or business?

Until earlier this month I was Publishing Director of Endeavour Press, but I have just left to move into freelance work, specifically in editorial and consultancy. I have worked in digital publishing for four years, and manage everything from commissioning new titles to overseeing marketing campaigns.
2) What is the most rewarding part of it?

The most rewarding part of my job is finding and falling in love with a book, and then getting to meet the author and sharing my enthusiasm. Seeing a book grow from a submission to a published book; and working with the author on everything from edits to cover ideas to a new title is so much fun! We also worked with a lot of estates at Endeavour Press, and it was great
when you get in contact with the family of an author whose books have gone out of print, and you get them selling again – it is really rewarding to keep an author’s legacy going strong.
3) What do you consider to be your major successes?

I recently got shortlisted for the Kim Scott Walwyn Award for exceptional women in publishing, which was a great honour and personal success, and I feel privileged to have been on the same shortlist as so many inspirational women (including the wonderful publisher and editor Alice Curry of Lantana who won!). My major successes at work have been mainly around tracking down obscure literary estates (I have spent many an afternoon stalking unsuspecting relatives of authors on the internet!); signing them up; and injecting new life into the books – transforming them from hard-to-find second-hand copies, to shiny new ebooks, which are reaching a whole new generation of readers.


4) Have you always loved books and what are you reading at the moment?

My father is a writer and he worked in children’s publishing when I was growing up, so I was lucky enough to always have a house full of books! I have a few books on the go at the moment: I have just finished working my way through nearly 100 submissions for the HWA Endeavour Ink Best Historical Novel Award, and at the moment I am reading (and thoroughly enjoying!) The Girl in the Glass Tower by Elizabeth Fremantle; I am also reading The Queen’s Mary by Sarah Gristwood, which will be published as an Endeavour Ink book this summer; and The Power by Naomi Alderman, of which I have heard great things!

BIO
Amy Durant is a freelance editor and digital publishing consultant. She is also working part-time on a PhD on the works of Aphra Behn.

Contact Amy on Twitter @SavingBooks

 

 

The Business of Books: A Taste for Romance | Jane Cable visits a Choc Lit roadshow

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Jane Cable visits a Choc Lit roadshow

As regular readers of this column will know, I’ve been keeping my eye on Choc Lit for a while. As a writer of romance, you simply can’t ignore them; they’re up there, they’re out there – and they have a definite brand.

It’s this clear branding which draws me to them as a publisher. They have prettily and cleverly set out their stall as purveyors of delicious (in their words) women’s fiction from historical romance through to contemporary romantic thrillers. The books they publish are accessible and good quality; their readers know exactly what they are going to get.

When I saw that one of Choc Lit’s roadshows was coming to Southampton I knew I had to sign up. I was fascinated to see how they balanced an event aimed at readers and writers – not always the easiest of tasks. And the promise of chocolate was pretty enticing too.

Initially I hadn’t intended to pitch to one of their editors but when the email came through confirming my place I wondered if I should. Careful of their brand, Choc Lit have very precise submission criteria and I wasn’t sure I had a manuscript which would meet them. Or to be honest, one of them in particular: the requirement (for all but their Choc Lit Lite imprint) to show the hero’s point of view.

The book I am just starting could certainly be written that way, but Choc Lit only want completed – and professionally assessed – manuscripts. This is a really sensible move as it must make their slush pile less, well, slushy as a certain level of quality is assured. But reading their requirements again it became clear that self-published novels are acceptable and one of mine, The Faerie Tree, fits the bill.

The basic premise of The Faerie Tree is that when a couple meet again twenty years after their brief affair they discover that their memories of it are completely different, and this meant that the best way to tell the story was to alternate the hero’s and heroine’s points of view. It is the right length and certainly has romance at its heart, so I decided to give it a go.

If nothing else, it could be a foot in the door. Choc Lit are looking for authors with whom they can build a long term relationship, and as a writer, that’s what I am looking for too. I would love to be able to work with an editor to plan books ahead, knowing that they had a home when the writing was done. I would love a publisher where I could build my author brand alongside their own.

After listening to the Choc Lit authors’ stories (one of them, Laura E James, will feature in Business of Books later this summer) I was even more excited about setting out my stall to editor Lusana Taylor. In the main she was interested in my social media profile and how I marketed myself as a writer. I wanted to know about the importance of the hero’s point of view and what they looked for in an author. When we finally got around to talking about The Faerie Tree, she delighted me by asking to see the full manuscript.

Except it isn’t Lusana who will be assessing it. Choc Lit have a unique and rather wonderful way of choosing manuscripts for publication – their Tasting Panel of real readers. How refreshing is that? Once Choc Lit consider an author has potential it is up to this panel to decide whether the actual book is good enough. It seems a fairer process and a recipe for commercial success. I’m just hoping that The Faerie Tree delivers on flavour.

The final Choc Lit roadshow of the summer is at Stockton on Tees on 17th June. Find more details here: http://www.choc-lit.com/choc-lit-on-tour/

 

 

Business of Books: Behind the Best-seller Jane Cable Meets Rosanna Ley

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the-business-of-books-interviewswithjanecableThis week I am especially delighted to welcome one of my favourite writers, best-selling author Rosanna Ley.
BUSINESS OF BOOKS- Behind the Best-seller rosanna ley

1)      How much of your working life does the business of books take up?

Pretty much all of it! I work full time from home: writing, researching, editing, writing publicity material and taking part in events and occasionally doing a manuscript appraisal for an author (I used to do more of these but now although I’d love to, I simply don’t have the time). I also run an annual week’s writing retreat in Andalucia in July for around 12 writers at finca el cerrillo which I adore. It’s a haven of tranquillity and it’s so good to work with other writers. I used to do a lot more tutoring of creative writing and also working with community groups on therapeutic writing but I have had to let this go. Very reluctantly. But writing and editing a book a year (of around 130,000 words) is very time-consuming!

2)      What’s your business model to earn a living from writing?

I’m not sure that I have a business model at all. I’m fortunate in that I do earn a living from writing. It’s hard in these days of low advances and competitive deals from independent publishers, not to mention the number of authors who self-publish who have to work so hard to earn from their books. I would certainly consider running creative writing courses as a good way to supplement income, and there are appraisal agencies who take on experienced readers to give constructive feedback on writing for authors who go down this route. Apart from that, my model would be to keep writing, keep publicising and hope that your work is eventually recognised. Just keep getting it out there…

3)      What do you write and what do you consider to be your major successes?

I write novels often described as ‘commercial women’s fiction’ which are contemporary but also contain elements of the historical. They offer a bit of mystery and some romance and are set in stunning locations such as Sicily and Sardinia (as well as my home turf of West Dorset and also Cornwall). I have also set novels in Cuba, Burma, Morocco and Barcelona. Yes, I like to travel… My books are often called ‘holiday reads’ because of the locations I choose, but I like to think they offer a bit more than that…  I like to include some (hopefully) thought-provoking subject matter and I like to explore human relationships and the ‘tangled webs we weave’. My biggest paperback success has been ‘Bay of Secrets’ which takes on some rather dark and hopefully intriguing subjects centring around the Spanish Civil War when a woman from Dorset in 2012 goes looking for her birth mother. My biggest e-book success was ‘The Villa’ which is about three generations of women and their journeys – one to find her lost love, one to discover the secrets of the past and one to find her own sense of self!

4)      Tell me about your latest project.

The project I am currently working on is entitled ‘Her Mother’s Secret’ and is set in Belle-Ile, a small island off southern Brittany, France. It centres around Colette, who left the island when she was eighteen and who returns when her mother Thea is ill in order to care for her and help run Thea’s flower shop. I have finished the first draft and am doing some editorial work on that now. We are also looking at cover ideas. I am also doing some publicity work for ‘Little Theatre by the Sea’ which is out in hardback with Quercus already and will come out in paperback on June 1st. This book is about restoration and change. Faye travels to Sardinia to take on the project of re-designing the little theatre and finds much more than she ever bargained for…

Rosanna Ley is the best-selling author of The Villa, Bay of Secrets and Little Theatre by the Sea. Her books are published by Quercus.

Festival Fun: Jane Cable puzzles over how best to publicise a local event

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the-business-of-books-interviewswithjanecableI don’t know if it’s just me, but as a writer I’ve become so locked into digital marketing that asking me to promote something tangible and local leaves me scratching my head.

Although Chindi Authors were always going to run a series of events at this summer’s Festival of Chichester I hadn’t really envisaged joining in. For a start, I would be in the middle of a long distance house move. But since the arts’ editor of the local paper persuaded me to take part it has kind of become my Chichester swan song.

Chindi are running six events in all. We kick off with a crime writers’ panel on 20th June, the next night host a ghost walk around the city, followed by an indie publishing panel on the 22nd and on the 23rd I’m going to talk about how starting my writing career as an indie helped me to win my publishing deal. On Saturday 24th we have two events planned: a creative writing workshop during the day and a wine & words quiz in the evening. The latter came about because our festival home is the function room above Hennings, Chichester’s independent wine merchant.

As ever, children’s author Christopher Joyce is the moving force behind the project. As ever, I was two steps behind him, nodding enthusiastically. As a result of this enthusiasm I find myself taking part in the indie panel, hosting the editing table, and if numbers dictate helping him to run the creative writing workshop. But numbers are the thing – bookings for our events are starting to come in, but they are not all as popular as we hoped.

Some of this is to do with being part of a festival. The upside is being featured in their programme, on their website and across their social media (in theory – the last time they tweeted anything was two weeks ago). The downside is that there are so many great events for people to choose from, so how do we make ours stand out?

FESTIVAL FUN Jane Cable puzzles over how best to publicise a local event

We need to reach local readers and writers – mainly writers – and they are a limited audience. The local papers are being supportive but how else do we make sure they know about our events? Twitter is a massive stage for this sort of thing and although we have lovely Canva graphics to post we need to make sure we are using the correct hashtags. So perhaps social media isn’t the best approach.

Our email newsletter goes out next week and features the events so hopefully that will help increase the numbers. At least the audience is targeted locally and we know they love books.

As a group we decided against leaflets because everyone hates giving them out, but I think this could have been a mistake. We have a poster in the window of Hennings, and I have designed one for my own event which will go into the library and anywhere else I can persuade to take it. Although we are a group and we all promote each others’ events our biggest responsibility is to our own. And from my point of view, local promotion is something I’ve lost the knack for.

Actually, event or not, being visible in the locality of your book, or where you live, is an essential part of the author’s marketing toolkit. People are always so much more interested when they feel they may be able to recognise something of their own lives in your work it’s vital we don’t become so focused on the global horizon we forget our own back yards.

For more information about spoken word events at the Festival of Chichester look here: http://festivalofchichester.co.uk/spoken-word/

 

 

Business of Books: Jane Cable interviews designer and digital marketing specialist Aimee Coveney

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the-business-of-books-interviewswithjanecableBUSINESS OF BOOKS: BETTER BY DESIGN

Jane Cable interviews designer and digital marketing specialist Aimee Coveney

What is your book-related job or business?

I started out by opening my own freelance design consultancy after finding my niche of working with industry professionals and directly with authors themselves. I am now co-founder of Bookollective and run the Design and Digital Marketing areas of the business. As part of this, I regularly design book covers, websites and promotional material, as well as running social media campaigns and blog tours. I see design and digital marketing as increasingly appreciated areas of the publishing sector, with many having put these on the back burner for years. Design is key to visually presenting yourself as an author and also transitions over to the marketing of your work both on and offline. Digital marketing is regularly misused, but its values are increasingly apparent to authors and professionals. When understood and targeted correctly it can quickly grow your visibility and credibility within the marketplace.

 Jane Cable interviews designer and digital marketing specialist Aimee Coveney

What is the most rewarding part of it?

I love hearing back from authors and publishers on how much they love a design; especially book covers. After what can be years of writing their book, it can often be an emotional moment seeing it in its final ‘wrapping’. I think independent authors sometimes feel their writing doesn’t deserve a professional design and when they decide to take that route, it is an honour to be the person to work with them and create something that visually represents their hard work. Publishers are always passionate about books and I love their enthusiasm for good design.

On the digital marketing side, I love finding new opportunities and contacts for both authors and Bookollective as a business. There’s no greater feeling than building on something you feel strongly about and helping others to do the same. Interacting online, sharing knowledge and the Bookollective mission to create a community within the publishing industry is a reward in itself.

 

What do you consider to be your major successes?

With a vast amount of books being published every day, it is always a success when one you represent gets favourably acknowledged in some way. This year I was thrilled to win a cover design award and also seeing my expertise recognised with an article in the UK’s bestselling writing magazine. Bookollective was also ‘Start-up of the Week’ in The Bookseller which was a fantastic accolade. It’s been a busy and exciting start to the year and I can’t wait to see what else it will bring.

 

Have you always loved books and what are you reading at the moment?

Absolutely! I can vaguely remember being delighted at winning a book whilst in nursery: it’s one of my earliest memories. I grew up reading classics such as Beatrix Potter and Judy Blume before being brave enough to read outside of my comfort zone and now enjoy a wide array of genres. At the moment I am reading Asking For It by Louise O’Neill; an emotional roller-coaster for me. I don’t read every book that I work with, but I am a self-confessed book hoarder!

 

Bio: Having enjoyed years in the publishing industry, Aimee’s award-winning experience means she is well-placed to offer top advice on the design and online marketing of your book/s. Aimee regularly contributes articles for the ALLI Self-Publishing blog as well as other publishing related websites and magazines. Aimee is a Partner Member of The Alliance of Independent Authors. 

To find out more about Bookollective’s services for authors and publishers, visit her website bookollective.com

You can connect with Aimee on social media: 

Twitter: @authordesigner / @bookollective   Facebook: @bookollective  

For further information, authors & publishers can email: aimee@bookollective.com

 

 

The Business of Books: Bursting the Book Bubble

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the-business-of-books-interviewswithjanecableJane Cable on Bookbub and other promotions

Another You has been on promotion again; partly thanks to Endeavour Press and partly off my own bat. When I heard the price would be dropped to 99p/99c for a good chunk of April in readiness for a Bookbub promotion I thought it would be worthwhile experimenting a bit myself.

I had heard very good things about Kindle Daily Nation (https://kindlenationdaily.com/). Very strong in the US market (where I’m not), they offer a number of sponsorship packages which start from $30 but I opted to splash out on one where Another You would be the only book featured in the mailshot. I’ve often found that the best way to sell my books is to offer a free excerpt and to do this costs $120. I uploaded my details and held my breath. Far from being the impersonal web-based process I expected soon I was receiving friendly emails from the team in New England who designed a great mailshot which showcased my book perfectly.

Did it work? Yes, in that the book shot briefly back up the Amazon.com charts and Endeavour were able to tell me that it sold 26 copies on the day of the promotion. Not nearly enough to pay for it, although more would have sold over the next few days, but overall the increased profile meant the experience was a positive one.

bookpromotionPR publicity

A week or so later Another You was featured on Author Shout’s Cover Wars (http://authorshout.com/cover-wars/). I had applied a few months before so the timing was purely co-incidental and I thought the promotions would bounce off each other well. Any author can apply, but be aware – this competition is far more about social media presence than the cover itself.

I normally work really hard on social media to make the most of every promotion I do and this time I could see it paying off straight away. I shared the link to the voting on the bookish Facebook groups I’m a member of, to my author page and on my personal Facebook account. I tweeted it every day. In Cover Wars you can vote every 24 hours and so many friends and fellow authors rallied around to do this I was knocked out by the support. It was neck and neck until the end, but I realised that the other author vying for top slot was in America so I had a last morning to gather votes before the competition closed. My strategy worked and Another You became Author Shout’s book of the week, featuring on their website and in their own social media. But whether I sold any more copies because of it I can’t really tell.

So on to Bookbub (https://www.bookbub.com/home/). Authors who have been featured rave about it, it isn’t cheap and there is a selection process to go through. Is it worth the hype? The answer is an emphatic yes.

Endeavour booked the promotion for the UK, Canada, Australia and India. It was so effective that within hours I had my first Amazon best-seller label, for 20th century historical romance in Canada. Unlike when the book was available free these were real sales to genuine new customers. A week later the book is still doing pretty well there and in Australia. In the UK it shot up to 400 in the Kindle UK charts and is still selling strongly and in the top 50 for women’s historical fiction.

So, what have I learnt? Strive for the best – save your pennies or beg your publisher and try for a Bookbub slot. And when you do decide on a promotion, harness all your social media resources and work as hard as you can to maximise the impact. Otherwise your time and money are likely to be wasted.

 

 

Business of Books: Jane Cable talks to author & book designer Christine Hammacott

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the-business-of-books-interviewswithjanecableJane Cable talks to author and book designer Christine Hammacott
 
How much of your working life does the business of books take up?
The business of books is extremely varied these days. Being an author doesn’t just involve writing a book. It can involve research, editing, marketing and promotion, social media, blogging, events and book festivals, to name but a few – anything that can help raise your profile.
I’m an author and also a book designer. I run my own graphic design consultancy and spend a lot of time working on logos and brand development across all media both in print and online. Three years ago, I joined forces with a couple of other writing friends to set up a indie-publishing co-operative. We’ve published seven titles so far including my own book. As a result of this I’ve been asked by other authors if I would design their covers. So two years ago I added book design to my portfolio of offerings and word seems to have spread as I’m now constantly working with other authors.  
My writing is a lot less disciplined than the design side, as I’m forced to write around family commitments, often snatching time at the laptop or with notepad and pen in car parks and corridors while my daughter is at one of her out of school activities. It isn’t ideal but it’s a one way of ensuring I have some regular time to write.
Jane Cable talks to author and book designer Christine Hammacott
What’s your business model for earning a living from books?
As far as earning a living from my writing goes I’m a long from doing that. I’m not convinced I’d actually like to solely write, although I would like to address the balance better. In an ideal world I’d like to spend the mornings writing and the afternoons designing with a walk with the dog in between.
I really enjoy designing book covers. My first job after art college was working for a publisher doing just that. I turn an author’s manuscript into a marketable ‘product’ that is visually appealing and conveys the genre and essence of the book. It can be quite difficult getting this across sometimes to an author but it’s important for a potential buyer to know immediately what they are buying and whether they want it. 
I think authors like working with me because I’m an author too and therefore understand where they are coming from and that their work is precious. A lot of them haven’t published before and part of my role is to gently hand-hold them through the process.
What do you write and what do you consider your major successes?
Years ago when I first started writing, I entered a Writing Magazine short story competition and won first prize. That success gave me the confidence to believe in my writing and undertake something larger. I now write psychological suspense. I enjoy finding out how ordinary characters cope in extraordinary situations. My debut novel is about a young woman who just want’s to get back to some sort of normality after a devastating fire that has left her homeless and a neighbour dead. Only she then finds she has a stalker and begins to fear for her safety. It’s a genre I particularly like as it’s very easy to imagine myself in the protagonist’s position and that makes it scary.
Tell me about your latest project
I’m working on another psychological suspense. This one is set in the New Forest and is all about living with consequences, morality, family relationships and how easily a situation can get out of hand. 
 
 
Amazon link  https://www.amazon.co.uk/Taste-Ash-Christine-Hammacott/dp/1499590830/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1491584065&sr=8-1&keywords=christine+hammacott
Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25820474-the-taste-of-ash?from_search=true
website   www.christinehammacott.com
www.artofcomms.co.uk
facebook   christinehammacott.author/
twitter @ChrisHammacott